Index system.



H. A. WARDY.

INDEX SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILEVD Aue.'24. 1914.

1,146,466., PatentedJuly13,1915.

2 S,HEETSSHEET I.

Patented July 13, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

COI-UMBIA PLANOURAPH co., wAsHxNufoN, n.

HARRY A: WARDY, A AM QQ I H G INDEX SYSTEM.

eeaee.

Specification, of Letters Patent.

Patented July 13, 1915.

Application filed August 24, 1914. SerialyNo. 858,360.

To all whom it may coiwem:

Be it known, that I, HAR Y A, WARDY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Kalamazoo, in thecounty of Kala-C mazoo and State-of Michigan, have invented a new anduseful Index System, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto improvements in index systems and, consistsin aplurality of specially designated data receiving cards which are dividedinto groups in accordance with a predetermined systematic arrangement,and; each group being separated by guide cards having index charactersarranged transversely adjacent to the upper edge thereof, said indexesbeing'uniformly disposed on said guide cards and each guide card beingprovided with a finger space in the upper edge thereof, said fingerspaces case or cabinet withthe guide cards and data systematicallyarranged receiving cards therein, in accordance with the principleofthepresent invention. Fig. 2 is a plan-view of the card caseillustrating the arrangement of the guide cards and data receivingcards, certain of the data, receiving cards being shown in a misfiled,position, in the case. Fig. 3 isa view of the data receiving and: guidecards separated and placed in; a horizontal position, and, Fig. 4 is afragmentary detail view of, one of the data receivingcards of asinglegroup, more clearly illustrating the arrangement, of the indexcharacter by which it is classified,

Inthe embodiment of, my invention which I have shownin the drawin sacase 1 of any suitable design is provided, which case is.

adapted to receive and support, in avertical positlon the series of datarece ving cards andiguldes arranged 1n,accordan cew1th the invention Inthis case 1 is illustrated a se-v ries of; guide cards 2 between whichis. inserted; or interposed a plurality of data receiving cards 3, saiddata receiving cards being arranged in alphabetical groups. Each of theguide. cards 2 is provided with an index comprising a series ofalphabetical index groups l disposed laterally across the front face oftheguide cards adjacent to the upper edge thereof, Eachrindex groupmaycontain one or more letters as desired, the number of filing spacesforthe data receivingcards beingdeterminedby the number of groupsprovided.

AsI have illustrated the arrangement of the index, ten index groups areshown arranged as clearly disclosed in Fig. 3 of the drawings Thisarrangement in practice is adequate for practical use, but it is readilyapparent thatthe cards may bemade of any width and the number of groupsincreased, thereby increasing the capacity of the index. The guide cardsmay also be provided, if desired, with suitable spaces and; designationswhich provide a form 5 for the independent indexing of each group. Thisfeature of arrangement is not essential, howeve gbut may beutilized ifdesired for recording and indexing the data receiving cards ofthecorresponding group.

Each. guide card, isprovided with, a notch or, finger space 6, saidnotches or finger spaces. being cut in the upper edges of the guidecardsat differentlateral positions so that the index, group, for whicheach. guide card is provided; will be removed When the guide cards arearranged for use the in dex groups will be in longitudinal alinementand, by removinga portion of theupper edgeof the guide card,which is inalinement with the index group, for which the partieular card isprovided, the guide maybe located, by the eye of! the user; or engagedwithfacility, by the finger, whereby the data receiving; cards of theparticulargroup may be located? and separated from theremainingcardsinthe case. Thus, lfftl'lfi' operator becomes familiarwith the location of the finger spaces, anyparticular group may belocated by touch permitting the selection of a group withoutthenecessity of the index characters being visible at the time of theselection. Such a use ofthe index may be of value if; the index shouldbe placed in a vault, or other place where it is difficult toread theindex, although as above indicated the selection of the particular groupdesired may be located with great facility by the eye of the operator.

In the spaces between the several guide cards are arranged a pluralityof groups of data receiving cards 3. Each data receiving card is of aheight somewhat less than the height of the guide cards, it beingpreferred to provide data receiving cards of such a height that theywill extend, when arranged in the case, to a line which is insubstantially the same horizontal plane as a line drawn across the guidecards at the bottom of the finger spaces or notches, so that the indexgroup of the next guide card to the rear will be clearly visible to theoperator over the edge of the notch or finger space corresponding to theparticular group.

Each group of data receiving cards is provided with a particularlyarranged key or index 8 indicating the group to which the particularcard belongs. This index or key is formed in a field 9 of a distinctivecolor, the field being of a shape which corresponds in outline to thenotch or finger space 6 formed in the corresponding guide card. Thefield of a distinctive color also extends across the upper edge of thecard, as clearly indicated at 10. Thus, when the cards are arranged ingroups, a view of the top edge of the group will readily indicatewhether or not all the cards of the group are in proper position. Thisfeature of the inven tion is of great importance and is particularlyvaluable for the purpose of indicating misfiled cards and for guardingagainst the misfiling of any card when the same is replaced in the caseby the operator.

Where an index is required to be used rapidly, such as, for instance, inbank work where signature cards are required to be located promptly bythe tellers and where it is of extreme importance to have all cards thatare filed in the index in their proper places, my device has been foundto have great utility.

In order to clearly illustrate how readily a misfiled card may bedetected, I have shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing misplaced data receivingcards 11. By reference to this figure of the drawing it will be notedthat one of the misplaced cards has been misfiled under the index groupI-I-I, whereas it should have been filed under the group NS. Thismisfiling is clearly apparent by the line of a distinctive color acrossthe upper edge thereof. It will be noted further that a card whichshould have been filed in the DE index group has been misfiled in the IZgroup. It can be readily appreciated that it is matter of no difiicultyto promptly select these misfiled cards and to refile them in theirproper places.

WVhile I have referred in the course of this specification to guidecards and data receiving cards, it will of course be understood that theguide cards as well as the data receiving cards have been utilizedmerely for the purpose of illustration and that both of these elementsmay be in any form or shape, and it is contemplated that the index maybe utilized for folders, documents or other papers, so long as they maybe provided with designating devices substantially as herein described.

Having fully disclosed my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. An index system, comprising a series of guidecards and elements to be filed adapted to be contained in a case invertical adjustment, each of said guide cards being provided with anindex comprising a series of alphabetical index groups arranged acrossthe face thereof adjacent to the upper edge thereof, all of said indexgroups being uniformly disposed on said guide cards so that when placedin the case the index groups will be in longitudinal alinement, saidguide cards being further provided with notches in their upper edgesconstituting finger spaces, said notches removing the index groups insequence, and each of said filed elements being provided with an indexgroup corresponding to the group under which it is filed, said indexgroup being displayed on a field of distinctive color, said fieldconforming in outline to a notch formed in the guide card of thecorresponding group, and said field of distinctive color extendingacross the upper edges of the filed elements, thereby providing meansfor grouping of the filed elements and preventing the misfiling of anyfiled element of the several groups, substantially as specified.

2. An index system, comprising a case, a series of cards distinguishedone from the other by index characters disposed at clifferent positionson the front face thereof adjacent to the upper edges of said cards,said index characters being surrounded by a field of distinctive colorwhich extends across the upperedges adjacent to said index characters,guide cards separating said cards into groups, each of said guide cardshaving alphabetical index characters arranged in groups and extendingacross the front face thereof adjacent to the upper edges of said guidecards, and each of said guide cards being distinguished from theothersby a finger space formed in the upper edge thereof, and saidfinger spaces being located at different lateral positions and eachremoving the group of index characters which correspond to the indexcharacters carried by the cards of the corresponding group,substantially as. specified.

3. An index system, comprising a case, a plurality of groups of datareceiving cards,

each of said data receiving cards being provided with a key or indexdesignating the group to which it belongs and being provided with adesignating mark visible before the top edge of said card fordetermining the group to which it belongs, a series of guide cardsextending above the upper horizontal edges of said data receiving cards,said "aide cards being each provided with an index comprising aplurality of alphabetical groups arranged across its front face adjacentto the upper edge thereof, notches arranged at different lateralpositions in the upper edges of said guide cards, said notches eachremoving the index group for which the respective guide card constitutesa partition, and a form carried by each of said guide cards for indexingthe data receiving cards of the separate groups, substantially asspecified.

4. An index system, comprising a case, a series of data receiving cardsadapted to be positioned in said case, said data receiving cards beingdivided into groups and each group being separately indexed bycharacters located in the same position adjacent to the upper edge ofeach card of the group, a series of guide cards separating said datareceiving cards and each bearing across the front face thereof, adjacentto the upper edge thereof, an index comprising a plurality ofalphabetical groups uniformly arranged in positions corresponding tothose of the index characters on the several groups of data receivingcards, each of said guide cards having a finger space which removes theindex characters which correspond to the index characters carried by thedata receiving cards comprising the group arranged in front of saidguide cards, respectively, and a distinguishing mark on each datareceiving card for indicating the misfiling of any one of said datareceiving cards, substantially as specified.

5. An index system, comprising a series of guide cards, and elements tobe filed and corresponding to said guide cards, respectively, each ofsaid guide cards being provided with an index having reference to saidfiled elements and comprising a series of alphabetical index groupsarranged across the face adjacent to the upper edge thereof, the indexgroups on the several guide cards being in longitudinal alinement, saidguide cards having finger-space notches in their upper edges removingthe index groups in sequence, each of said filed elements being providedwith an index group corresponding to the group under which it is filed,said index group being displayed on a field of distinctive color forwardfrom the notch in the guide card of the corresponding group, said fieldof distinctive color extending across the upper edges of the filedelements and constituting a visual guide whereby said element may beproperly grouped.

In witness whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

HARRY A. wannr.

WVitnesses:

GEO. P. WIesnNroN, EMMA L. HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

